New Bayou Books

A Quick Note from the Trenches

I’ve been delinquent on my Monday blogs, friends. Sorry about that. South Louisiana is getting the best of me! The last couple weeks have been a whirling dervish of meeting new readers, fellow writers, and spreading the good word of New Bayou Books. A reading event at the Calcasieu Parish Library in Sulphur (photo below).Continue reading “A Quick Note from the Trenches”

Reality and Imagination are Fixing to Clash

“I spent some time in New Orleans. I had to live on rice and beans. I hitched to Texas when the sun was beating down. Won’t nothing bring you down like your hometown.” Steve Earle Well, the week has finally arrived. I’m headed back to South Louisiana for an extended soaking of all that isContinue reading “Reality and Imagination are Fixing to Clash”

Note to Future Self

Be good to your future self. Me and JP I’ve been reading and listening to some psychology and philosophical texts and thinkers recently. Jordan Peterson. Sam Harris. Kieran Setiya. Others. I don’t understand them all, but as I approach the half-century mark, some things are starting to come into the light. One interesting shift isContinue reading “Note to Future Self”

I’m Telling You, this Timer Thing is Golden

The timer is a powerful tool of productivity. I’m telling you, it’s almost magic. I’ve talked about the power of timers before, but I’m taking another run at it for two reasons. First, timers have gotten more sophisticated recently. I work on a standard PC style laptop that runs whatever the latest version of WindowsContinue reading “I’m Telling You, this Timer Thing is Golden”

Thanks, But No Thanks

I never got into comic books. But even so, it was impossible to miss The Sandman comics because all my depressed and cynical friends were into them in the 90s. Still, I didn’t pay much attention. I always had a hard time figuring out which panel to read next, and anyway, there wasn’t much actualContinue reading “Thanks, But No Thanks”

Tribute to a Tribute

It’s not hard to find a Foo Fighters fan. At least not in the circles I run in. [Pauses to allow dad joke-laughter to subside]. Saturday night I stood for several hours, barefoot in my office with the sound from Wembley running through my serious bluetooth speaker, dancing my ass off. And crying. Crying likeContinue reading “Tribute to a Tribute”

A Quick Case Study in Re-Writing (or, It Never Starts Out Good)

This is not the first time I’ve covered this topic on this blog, but it’s worth repeating. Whatever it is you’re writing–an essay, a blog, short story, novel, a book report–it will not just come off your fingertips in good form. I know this from experience, and recently I proved it to myself all overContinue reading “A Quick Case Study in Re-Writing (or, It Never Starts Out Good)”

Seven Weeks to South Louisiana

In mid October I’m going back to Louisiana for a good, long visit. And the biggest problem I’m having isn’t completing the growing stack of tasks I want to knock out before I get there, but keeping my expectations in check. But since this is a literary sort of blog, let me take a stepContinue reading “Seven Weeks to South Louisiana”

One Thing at a Time

I’ve been suffering from these little bouts of desperation. Brief moments when I suddenly feel helpless. Hopeless. Just lost in a swirl of conflicting pulls from as many directions as I can hold in my head at one time. In the middle of an online guitar lesson, I feel like I should be writing. ButContinue reading “One Thing at a Time”

Live Like Rogan, Like Jocko – All Them Kings

I’ve been away for a couple weeks (not that you noticed). And while I was not writing my Monday blog, I had another realization. Call it an insight . . . which I would like to share with you now. There are some shining examples of productivity, intelligence, and industry out there these days. IfContinue reading “Live Like Rogan, Like Jocko – All Them Kings”